Third BRS MLA to join the Congress
A day after BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao claimed that 20 Congress MLAs were ready to quit the party and join him, his party MLA Prakash Goud from Rajendranagar met Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Amarinder Singh on Wednesday conveyed to the Congress high command the party state unit’s opinion against going for any political alliance in the state for the forthcoming elections.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with senior Congress leaders in New Delhi, the CM said they had discussed party matters, particularly related to the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
The Congress leaders present in the meeting included Ahmed Patel, AK Antony, Jairam Ramesh, Malikarjuna Kharge and Ghulam Nabi Azad. Captain Amarinder was joined by Punjab Congress president Sunil Jahkhar.
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On the issue of alliance in Punjab, Amarinder said both he and the Punjab Congress president had told the Congress leaders that they would go on their own and win all the 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
As far as a national alliance is concerned, it was up to the party high command to decide, he added, making it clear that the Congress in Punjab did not need any alliance.
The CM told reporters that he had informally taken the views of his cabinet colleagues after the cabinet meeting earlier today on the issue of alliance and all were unanimous that no tie-ups were needed and the party would win the LS polls in Punjab hands down.
To a question on legalising cultivation of drugs in Punjab, the CM said he was not in favour of it and would not allow drugs to ruin the state. No matter what AAP members of Parliament or others say, we don’t want any drugs to be grown in Punjab, he said.
Responding to a question on the Chandigarh issue, the CM reiterated that his government would not allow dilution of Punjab’s stake in the UT at any cost.
His government, said Amarinder, had categorically rejected the Union Government’s notification regarding Chandigarh UT cadre allocation.
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